Category: News

PowerPlay Kickoff Review

Aaron

Aloha Teams! We hope the Kickoff presentation and PowerPlay Game Reveal inspired you to meet the challenges of the new season. If you missed the in-person kickoff, no worries. The entire presentation (slideshow) with all available season details is posted on the Hawai’i FTC homepage.

League Event Selection Update

Coaches should be on the lookout for the Event Selection Form which is used to select your team’s preferred League Meet dates. The form will arrive via email in coming days, as soon as event venues are confirmed.

Kickoff Door Prize Winners!

Congratulations FTC Teams 20423 and 17063. Each took home a GoBuilda Strafer Chassis Kit. Mahalo to GoBuilda!

Click the pic to purchase a GoBuilda kit for $150. Only 150 are available at this super low price.

Congratulations also to Teams 6962 and 9378. These teams won a new Chromebook Laptop, courtesy of Assets Robotics (Assets School, Honolulu).

Kickoff Sweepstakes ends Sept 15!

Last Chance for teams to register for the Kickoff Sweepstakes

Four winners will receive a 2022-2023 POWERPLAY partial game set and scoring elements, a total approximate retail value of $290.00. 

All teams need to do to enter is complete their 2022-2023 FIRST® Tech Challenge team season registration before September 15, 2022, at 12pm ET for a chance to win the Kickoff Sweepstakes. 

If a team has already completed their FIRST Tech Challenge season registration for this season, they are already entered into the sweepstakes. Thanks for helping us spread the word!

new “power_play” season!

Aaron

FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Grant

News for Teams – August 2022

  1. FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Grant
  2. FTC SIM Argosy Rookie Team Grant and Tool
  3. Kickoff is Coming!
  4. FIRST® Equity and Access Grant Application Now Open

FIRST® Tech Challenge is offering Rookie Grants to brand new teams! Tell your friends, classmates, or neighbors that are interested in starting a FIRST Tech Challenge team about our Rookie Grants!

FTC SIM Argosy Rookie Team Grant and Tool

FTC SIM is a virtual coding tool that allows users to code and run a virtual FIRSTTech Challenge robot autonomously for free! Users can learn everything from basic movement to how to use sensors by completing a series of puzzles using Blocks or Java. Learn more about this new tool on our blog.

The Argosy foundation is empowering FTC SIM users to take their virtual robotics experience to the next level by providing 140 x $1000 USD grants towards starting a competitive FIRST Tech Challenge Team in North America. The grant will cover the team’s registration fee and can be used towards products in the storefront. Users are challenged to collect the lightning bolts in the 15 puzzles marked with one. Once collected, the user will get a grant code that can be used to apply for this grant. Information on how to qualify and the application process is available at this link.

Kickoff is Coming!

We can’t wait for the POWERPLAYSM presented by Raytheon Technologies season Kickoff! Save the date for Saturday, September 10, 2022. Make sure to reach out to your local program delivery partner to find a kickoff event near you!

FIRST® Equity and Access Grant Application Now Open

FIRST® is excited to announce a funding opportunity available to US-based FIRST Tech Challenge teams participating in the 2022-2023 season! Awarded teams will receive a grant to support their designated project, which should be focused on increasing participation of female and/or underrepresented populations in STEM. Preference will be given to projects that are presenting FIRST programs. For U.S.-based FIRST Tech Challenge teams, the grant funds will be restricted to use on any registration fees for the team (and product). Grants are available for between $1,000 and $5,000 each. Apply Here.

Assets School Robotics Offers new Chromebooks to FLL & FTC teams!

Aaron

In an unusual act of team generosity, FTC Team Waffles (#14825) from Assets School will be giving away up to 15 new Chromebooks to New FLL or FTC Teams! These slick computing devices will be a huge benefit to teams who are starting out without a modern device to meet learning and programming needs.

Lenovo Chromebook Touchscreen Laptop Computer (sample photo)

Team Waffles received the Chromebooks as a part of a grant they received from GirlsWhoCode (GWC) and Trellix with the goal of increasing female interest in the STEM community.

Chromebooks are sufficient for FLL programming with the Lego App available on ChromeOS, and for FTC programming with the browser-based Blocks programming or OnBot Java programming. They are also user-friendly for students and coaches working on research and documentation.

If your FLL or FTC team is new to FIRST, and participating in 2022-2023 season, then you are eligible to apply for one of the Chromebooks. This is a need-based giveaway, which means priority will be given to teams who really need them. To request a Chromebook, visit Assets Robotics at this link: http://www.assetsrobotics.org

Mahalo to Assets Team Waffles for this incredible contribution to the FIRST Robotics community in Hawai’i.

FTC Hawai’i Team Update Feb 6, 2022

Aaron

Aloha FTC Coaches. As we enter the final weeks of the Freight Frenzy Hawai’i season we want to congratulate your team for making it this far. With the Championship just around the corner it’s time to highlight several upcoming dates and deadlines. Please share this information with your team.

FTC Teams planning to participate in the Hawai’i Championship event must complete the following requirements to be considered for awards:

  • complete a minimum of 2 League meets (10 matches total)
  • submit completed match scores via FTC Scoring System
  • submit an Engineering Portfolio via FTC Scoring System by Feb 15
  • complete an Interview with judges on Feb. 26. RSVP by Feb 15 below.
  • Submit Championship match scores by March 5
  1. Championship Judging and Awards
    • Engineering Portfolio –  due Feb. 15, 2022
  •  (Optional) Control Award Submission 
  1. Championship Judge Interviews
    • Judge Interviews will be held via Zoom on Feb 26
    • RSVP HERE to select your preferred time slot. Confirmations will be emailed to coaches.
    • Interview Format
      • 15 minutes is allocated for each team
      • 5 min team presentation
      • 5 min to demonstrate your robot running a match with scoring
      • 5 min Judge Q & A
  1. (Optional) Dean’s List Nominations Due by Feb 15
    • Submit nominations via your Team page at https://ftc-scoring.firstinspires.org/
    • If you are planning to submit a nomination by the deadline, NOW is the time to reserve an interview time slot.  RSVP for the Dean’s List Interview HERE. 
    • Interview Confirmations will be emailed to the Coach who must forward it to the nominee.
    • Interviews will be via Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 starting at 8:00am.
    • See the Dean’s List Nomination Guide for full information
  1. Championship Awards
    • Championship Awards Presentation will take place via ZOOM on March 12 at 9:00am. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on YouTube and available for later viewing.

FRC Volunteers Needed! PASS THE WORD!

FIRST Robotics Competition, Hawai’i’s most elite STEM event for high school students needs volunteers to assist at the Hawai’i Regional Competition. This huge and exciting event takes place at University of Hawai’i Manoa campus from March 30 to April 2. We encourage all FTC coaches, parents, mentors to assist with the plethora of tasks required to make this event a success. If you or someone you know wants to make a positive impact in the community by inspiring our youth, please encourage them to volunteer for FRC. Register to volunteer here or email us for more information at [email protected]. MAHALO!